Alienware M15 R5 is its first AMD-based gaming laptop in more than a decade

Alienware has announced the latest revisions to its flagship gaming laptop lineup, the 15-inch Alienware M15R5. It will begin shipping in the US on April 20, starting at $ 1,793.98. The company is getting bigger with its message that it will host AMD’s faster Ryzen 5000 H-series processors (octa-core Ryzen 9 5900HX) and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 graphics chip. Dell says it is the first Alienware laptop in 2007 to feature an AMD processor.

If you haven’t noticed, AMD’s processors have gone on a tear over the past year, providing great performance without compromising on efficiency when you’re not gaming. This is the latest company to be involved with Asus, Lenovo, and even Dell, to name a few. AMD-tapping laptops are already some of the best gaming laptops you can buy. Nevertheless Alienware is possibly the best-known gaming brand to go to AMD.

The base configuration of the M15 R5 has an octa-core Ryzen 7 5800H processor and Nvidia’s RTX 3060. You can upgrade to Ryzen 9 5900HX octa-core processor and RTX 3070. Both the RTX 3060 and 3070 have a total graphics power level. Maximum graphics power up to 105W with 105W extra boost up to 125W. Interestingly, the 3060 has a higher base and boost clock (base: 1,387MHz, boost: 1,702MHz) than the 3060 option (base: 1,110MHz, boost: 1,560MHz).

Either way, these are some of the highest clock speeds we’ve yet seen in a slim 2021 gaming laptop. Alienware is rolling out clocks promoting almost all of the roof paths, and it’s great that it’s transparent about these power specs, as Nvidia now requires that manufacturers share it.The Raigen variant will ship in this silver configuration.

In terms of dimensions, the R5 is thicker and heavier than the previous R4 generation. The base configuration weighs 5.34 pounds (up to 5.93 pounds, depending on the components inside). The R4’s base configuration weighed 4.65 pounds for comparison. The R5 is 19.25 mm thick at its front (22.85 mm thick near the hinge), 272.5 mm deep and 356 mm wide. Each configuration will ship with 86Wh batteries, similar to what is shipped in the M15 R4 and R3.

Screen-wise, the R5 can be configured with a range of high-refresh-rate displays. The base FHD screen has a 3ms response time screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, and your options for upgrading are either a dimmer 300-night 1080p panel with 360Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and only 100 percent sRGB color coverage, Or a brighter 400-night QHD screen with a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut, plus G-Sync, providing the best experience even when you have a framed dip.

If you want to output to a separate display, the laptop’s HDMI 2.1 port means that it can display up to 120 frames per second at 4K resolution if your monitor (or TV) supports it. The laptop also has a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port and a headphone jack. There is no Thunderbolt port, but that Intel technology may later find its way into the Intel-based version.

Dell states that it is the first Alienware laptop to feature 3,200MHz DDR4 RAM, and is also user-configurable with two SO-DIMM slots. This is a move in the right direction as the M15 R3 R4 Both had soldered their RAM on the board, making it impossible for you to upgrade after purchasing it. There are two M.2 slots inside so you can upgrade storage post-purchase as well.

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The company says the laptop’s paint is engineer for “increase stain-resistance and premium surface feel”. This model can be configure to feature Cherry’s ultra-low profile mechanical switch. Dell announced this keyboard collaboration for the M15 R4. It will also be available as a $ 150 add-on for this new model.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly gaming laptop with a new Ryzen 5000 H-Series processor. Check out Dell’s $ 899 G15 which was still announce.

correct mistakes: Following the announcement, Alienware changed the starting price of the M15 R5 to $ 1,793.98. Down from $ 2,159.99. A spokesperson confirm that while there is no difference in terms of specs with the early model. The price was simply reduce.